This invention generally relates to item counters and, more specifically, to card counters, such as credit card counters, which automatically count the number of cards standing on edge in a box of cards for comparison to a preset member entered into a preset memory and means and methods of entering said preset data.
Card counters are well known in the credit card issuing industry where it is most important to keep strict inventory control of both embossed and blank credit cards to prevent credit card fraud. Examples of such counters and their assorted optical scanning systems and related circuitry are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. of Mohan et al. 3,581,067 reissued as Re 27,869 on Jan. 1, 1974; 3,790,759 issued Feb. 5, 1974; 3,663,803 issued May 16, 1972; 3,813,523 issued May 28, 1974; 3,889,136 issued June 10, 1975 and 4,373,135 issued Feb. 8, 1983. Other counters and optical sensor systems are also shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,384,195 of Nosler issued May 17, 1983; 4,677,682 of Miyagawa issued June 30, 1987; 4,707,843 of McDonald et al. issued Nov. 17, 1987 and 4,481,667 of Price et al. issued Nov. 6, 1984.
There are certain functional inadequacies and problems with the known credit card counters. Specifically, although the Dynetics.RTM. credit card counter sold by applicant's assignee prior to the card counter of this invention has had and continues to enjoy substantial commercial success, it too has certain shortcomings which have not been overcome in competitive card counter designs. One disadvantage with known credit card counters is associated with preset number selection. The prior card counters are provided with means for preselecting a preset number to which the actual count of a full box of cards is compared. This is done to verify accuracy of the count in a box when the number of cards which sould be in the box is already known. The only way to preselect the preset number or to change the preset number was by means of a manual thumb wheel rotary switch for each of the three digits of a typical preset number, such as the number five hundred. Disadvantageously, such thumb wheel switches are not only expensive, they are somewhat awkward to use and prone to mechanical failure.